The domain name system (DNS) and domain name registration system have become an integral part of how consumers and businesses conduct activity on the Internet. Among other things, the DNS environment allows businesses to register familiar designations, identifiers, or other monikers associated with products or services so that Internet users can use these monikers rather than the routing Internet protocol (IP) address that identifies a website associated with the moniker.
The DNS system works by an interrelation of entities including registrants, registrars, and registries. For example, registries maintain operative control over a top level domain (TLD), such as the traditional .COM, .NET, .ORG, .EDU, and .GOV, as well as the newer .BIZ, .INFO, and .NAME TLDs, in addition to all the other available generic TLDs (gTLDs) and country-code TLDs (ccTLDs). Registrants are the entities that register the use of a domain name in a specific TLD for a finite time. Registrars mediate the transactions between the registrants and each registry. Registrars receive and process the registrants' domain name reservation requests, and provide tools and an interface to the registrant to maintain operation of its reserved names.
Registries in turn receive and process requests from registrars and provide the registrars with tools to maintain operation of the reserved names of their customers (the registrants). The registry makes mechanisms available to reserve and update domain name registrations through the Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP), or other, similar functions or services. Registrars, who are authorized by the registry, have the ability to make reservations and check the state of domain names through the EPP. The registry provides the EPP as a communications gateway to registrars for such purposes.
Typically when a potential domain name registrant desires to register a domain name, the registrant will visit a registrar's web site to determine whether the selected name is available for the desired top-level-domain (TLD), e.g., .COM, .NET, .ORG, etc. The selected registrar may have relationships with several registries controlling different gTLDs and ccTLDs. The potential registrant will typically enter a domain name of interest, such as “MyCompanyName,” and submit the name to the registrar. The registrar will receive the domain name and process the domain name search request by querying the different TLD registries for which it has a registrar relationship over a real-time or near real-time interface. The registrar then receives an indication from each registry whether the domain name is available for different TLDs. If the domain name of interest is not available for the preferred TLD, the registry or registrar may provide the registrant with alternative domain names that are available for the preferred TLD or other TLDs. The registrant may then select domain names for registration and obtain a registration of the domain name, typically by paying registration fees, providing information required by the registry and registrar, and/or carrying out other steps. The registry typically charges the registrar for the domain name registration, and the registrar collects its registration fee from the registrant.
A method and system is desired that can provide a way of preserving privacy during domain name lookup and other operations by potential registrants. The following disclosure further expands upon these concepts by offering a solution to preserve privacy for other types of data retrieval related to domain names or other lists or registration. As described below, the subject systems and methods can in one aspect allow users to query a domain name for its availability and associated information without revealing the domain name.